Precious-metal separator.



I. J. ROBERSON.

PRECIOUS METAL SEPARATOR.

APPL |CATION man Aue.ls. 1918.

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PRECIOUS METAL SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I5. I9IB.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 ELIE-.1. 5 Z J //f g 6 5 II I I I I I K I n 0 I 9 I //f I I; I 1 I x I NITED STATES PATENT QFFICEO JOHN JAMES ROBERSON, 0F SPRINGVILLE, UTAEQASSIGNOR OF To JAMES I.

. ROUNDS, or COLTON, UTAH.

PRECIOUS-METAL snrnmiron.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. RoBnRsoN, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Springville, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Precious-Metal Separators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the "invention, such as will enable others skilled tion and unique combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application.

Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates a. longitudinal section of the separator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 2'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts removed and in horizontal section, showing more particularly the sluice and the parts arranged therein.

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections on the planes indicated by the lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig.1.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral '1 designates a trough-like sluice whose opposite vertical sides are provided with vertical grooves 2 in which the ends of transverse partitions 3 are removably re ceived, said partitions having legs 4 resting on the bottom of the sluice and thus supporting the partitions with their lower edges spaced a considerable distance from said sluice bottom. A removable cover 5. having its edges mounted on grooves 6 in the sides of the sluice, is preferably provided, said cover resting on the partitions 3 and retaining the latter in place.

Between the several partitions, collecting boxes 7 are disposed transversely in the sluice, said boxes having open tops 8 and having their opposite sides 9 converging upwardly to said open tops. A longitudinal screen 10 in the sluice 1 rests on the boxes 7 and passes beneath the partitions 3, and by V Specification of LettersPatcnt.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed August 15, 1918. Serial No. 250,040.

reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the lower edges of said partitions are disposed in a plane slightly below the tops of the boxes, whereby to depress the screen between the several boxes as shown at 11. Thescreen is also depressed at 12 into the open tops of the collecting boxes as shown.

The mixture of sand and water is fed into the vertically shiftable box or hopper 13 at one end of the sluice 1, and in traveling through thesluice, the water with the sand and ore in suspension, must pass over the several boxes and under the part1t1ons3,

necessarily flowing through .the screen 11 durmg this process. The screen thus serves to keep the sand and ore thoroughly mixed .with the water. Since the water in the several boxes 7 is calm, whereas the water between and over said boxes is flowing toward the outlet end of the sluice, it follows that comparatively calm pools exist at the open tops of the boxes, so that all metal in the sand of greater weight than the latter, will drop into these pools and be trapped within the boxes 7 The sand passes from the sluice 1 with the water and does not accumulate in any manner in the device. When the boxes 7 are to be dumped, the cover 5, partitions 3, and screen 10 are removed, whereupon said boxes may be withdrawn from the sluice.

I preferably provide a graded screen for screening the sand and ore prior to discharge thereof into the hopper 13. This screen consists of (see Fig. 2) an upper chute 15, an intermediate chute 16, and a lower chute 17, chute 15 discharging onto the upper end of 16, while the latter discharges onto the up per end of 17 the lower end of said chute 17 delivering into the hopper 13. The bottom of each chute 15, 16 and 17 is provided with a covering of burlap 18 or other mineral collecting material, such for instance as mercury, and above said chute bottoms, screens 19 of different mesh, are provided, the lower screen being such as to prevent the entrance of any sand and mineral into the hopper 13, which is of too coarse a mesh to pass freely through the screen 10 in the manner above set forth.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be obvious that although my invention is of extremely simple and inexpensive nature, and requires no moving parts whatever, it will be highly eflicient and durable. Since probably the best results are obtained from the details shown and described they are preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made. Also it is to be understood that the numerous parts may be of any required dimensions and that any suitable number of the boxes 7 may be used.

I claim:

1. A precious metal separator comprising a sluice, a. plurality of collecting boxes disposed transversely in said sluice and having open tops, a plurality of transverse partitions in said sluice between said boxes and spaced upwardly from the bottom of the former, and a longitudinal screen in said sluice extending over said boxes and under said partitions.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said partitions having their lower edges disposed in a plane below the tops of said boxes.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said screen being depressed into the open tops of said boxes.

is. A structure as specified in claim 1, said partitions having their lower edges disposed in a plane below the open tops of said boxes of may be obtained for five and said screen being depressed into said open tops.

A structure as specified in claim 1, the

its sides, transverse partitions in said sluice having their ends removably received in said grooves, the lower edges of said partitions being spaced from the bottom of said sluice, collecting boxes disposed transversely in said sluice between said partitions, said boxes having open tops in a plane above the lower edges of said partitions, the sides'of said boxes converging upwardly to said open tops, and a longitudinal screen in said sluice passing under said partitions and over said boxes, said screen being depressed into the open tops of said boxes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN JAMES ROBERSON.

lVit-nesses RICHARD C. BLUMMTHOL, FRANK MCKENZIE.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, G, 

